Movies, animation, comics, gaming and tech. Want to know what’s happening in Africa and beyond? Here’s the Run Down for this week.
NEWS OUT OF AFRICA – Digital Art/Animation
Afrofutourism is the Future
After seeing a lack of female artists being represented and celebrated in the digital art space, Nigerian Art curator, Somi Nwandu went on to create Afrofutourism.
Afrofutourism is an all-female digital art exhibition that seeks to showcase the work of black female digital artists internationally, and the exhibition was premiered recently in Lagos, Nigeria.
With digital art largely untapped in Nigeria, the exhibition also served to help art curators see the potential in digital art.
Nwandu states that “Afrofuturism is really about celebrating or exploring, re-imagined African futures through the arts,” and her desire is to see that re-imagined future showcased in an exhibition that reaches audiences around Africa and the world.
Find out more https://youtu.be/ifWkPGFUi64
Blackice Animation Studioz
Blackice Animation Studioz is a unique studio that combines 3D animation and architectural design. The company originally focused on creating game props development, virtual movie scene, character modelling and rigging and translating social media campaign brief’s into miniature movies.
Their first venture into the field od animation was their debut short film “5 Lettered Love”. Released in June 2018, the film won the Best 3D Animation award at the Lagos International Festival of Animation (LIFANIMA).
Now the company is preparing to release another film.
Search for the Sign With “Ami”
Blackice Animation Studioz present, Ami (Sign), a 3D animated action thriller. The short film follows the story or a former political thug coordinator, Femi, who calls it quits after the death of his mother. He goes forth to confront politician, Chief Williams, who has given him a retirement task. What follows after is a sign he cannot ignore.
The film is directed by Tunde Oluwo and Seph Duke and stars, Olalekan Fehintol, Segun Dada, Omowunmi Dada and Oriyomi Joseph.
Ami will be released on May 29, 2022.
Check out more on Instagram @blackice_studioz
Do You Know About The Mutupo Project?
Created by Zimbabwean animator and comic book artist, Kudakwashe Rwizi, the Mutupo Project is a story set in an alternate version of Zimbabwe, in what is now the new capital, Hasaka-Luuwe.
In this world, using the power of your Mutupo (Shona for totem) is rare and illegal. That is, until a visionary billionaire, Lumbani creates the first ever Mutupo tournament for Mutupo users to fight and compete against one another. Now nine unlikely characters must compete against each other in the tournament and stay ahead of the police who are trying to stop it.
From Comic Book to Animation
The Mutupo Project takes the form of a comic book and animation. The Prologue and First Issue of the comic book are available on Webtoon, with more issues promised to come out every week.
Read the Mutupo Project https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/mutupo/list?title_no=750200
Meanwhile, the animation trailer is scheduled for release in September 2022.
With this project, Rwizi hopes that local audiences can finally have “a form of entertainment that is a as good as what they read or watch from other countries” and “something [they] can call [their] own.”
The Mutupo Project is supported by the British Council Cultural Economy programme, which supports cultural organisations, festivals, artists, and creatives between the countries of SSA* and the UK to create art, build networks, collaborate and develop markets and share artists’ work with audiences.
Check out more on Instagram @Mutupo_Official
NEWS BEYOND AFRICA – Animation/Tech
Rainshine Entertainment’s Young Captain Nemo Franchise For Web 3.0
Rainshine Entertainment and Animasia Studio have teamed up to develop a multi-content franchise based in Web 3.0.
The multi-content franchise will culminate in a Young Captain Nemo, spin off series, NFTs, merchandise, video games an original soundtrack and a feature film set for release in 2023.
Viewers will also be able to enjoy the content in a 360 degree immersive experience and even have the opportunity to own franchise content from the NFT platform, Rainblox.
Based on a novel trilogy written by Jason Henderson, Young Captain Nemo follows the story of 15-year old Gabriel Nemo as he determines to protect the oceans and sea creatures form poachers, whalers and polluters.
Find out more https://www.adgully.com/rainshine-entertainment-launches-young-captain-nemo-116750.html